Logan and Ella's Mommy

My son (6 weeks) was diagnosed with Pyloric Stenosis today and he'll be getting surgery to repair the problem either tomorrow morning or the next day. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience dealing with this and how things went for you.

I know you are all thinking "Why are you on the computer?" but I'm trying to keep busy until my friend gets here to take me to meet up with my husband and son who are at the hospital already. I'll be leaving in an hour or so. I just need some positive experience stories right now so I can stop freaking out.

I could help but notice some of you were military. I am a Navy wife so I was just curious. How are you all doing? Are your husbands going to be around for the birth? Are you going to the base hospital or off base. Why?

Congrats!

I recently just moved into a new apartment. The landlord had paid to have the carpet cleaned so when we moved in there was the smell of carpet deodorizer and everything seemed fine. A few days later the deodorizer wore off and this heavy smell of dog filled the apartment. I told my landlord and initially they gave me a hard time but ended up having someone come out to re clean it. Well that has done NOTHING. It almost seems that the smell is stronger somehow.

My question is actually what rights do I have as a tenant? Can I ask to have the carpet replaced or to be put in a different apartment? I can't live with this smell. It's very strong. Can I demand new carpet? I live in Washington state.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good, inexpensive fetal doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat? I really want to get one but I know a lot of them aren't that good. Did anyone have a good experience with a particular brand? I don't want to get it if it's over 50 dollars. Thanks!

If you have the time I thought I would conduct a little poll. I looked at the Chinese Gender chart for fun and to see if it guess the sex of my first daughter correctly. I'm currently 8 weeks pregnant and it's says I'm having a boy. Take a second to check the chart. Did it guess the sex of your child/children right? Or do you think it will be right with your current pregnancy?

http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736...

I found it very informative and thought you guys would too. After seeing how much hormone the tests detect would you use a cheaper test seeing as how they detect just as much of the hormone (or little should I say) as some of the more expensive ones?

http://www.pinelandpress.com/faq/hpt.html

I personally used the Dollar Tree test after going to this site and got a positive. I confirmed at the doctor's office and am almost 7 weeks.

I'm just posting this because I've been reading a lot of people saying precum contains more sperm than semen does and so on. I would like to say with that said you should still use protection and still wear condoms because some men don't realize they are about to ejaculate and therefor could get their girl pregnant. Pull out method is not a method that should be used lightly and is very flawed. I just wanted to put up some science. Still better be safe than sorry...But again precum most likely does not contain sperm.

Journal of Assisted Reproduction Genetics, 2003 Apr;20(4):157-9. Zukerman asked "Does preejaculatory penile secretion originating from Cowper's gland contain sperm?" - conclusion: "Preejaculatory fluid secreted at the tip of the urethra from Cowper's gland during sexual stimulation did not contain sperm and therefore cannot be responsible for pregnancies during coitus interruptus."

Here's another two studies that were studying the HIV viral load in pre-ejaculate and incidentally showed that there isn't sperm:

Ilaria G, Jacobs JL, Polsky B, Koll B, Baron P, MacLow C, Armstrong D, Schlegel PN. Detection of HIV-1 DNA sequences in pre-ejaculatory fluid. Lancet 1992;340:1469.

Pudney J, Oneta M, Mayer K, Seage G, Anderson D. Pre-ejaculatory fluid as potential vector for sexual transmission of HIV-1. Lancet 1992;340:1470.

PIP: A study in Boston, Massachusetts, and another study in New York City examined samples of pre ejaculate fluid from HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative men to determine whether HIV was or was not present in pre ejaculate fluid. The researchers found macrophages and CD4 lymphocytes in most samples, indicating that HIV was present. The more significant finding, however, was that most pre ejaculate samples did not contain any sperm and those that did had only small clumps of a very small amount of sperm which seemed to be immobile. A larger study is needed to verify these results. If these results are confirmed, they may dispel the myth that pre ejaculate fluid contains sperm. An ongoing WHO/USAID study shows that the pregnancy rate caused by men with 3 million sperm/ml/ejaculation is very low; fertility clinics consider men with a sperm count of no more than 5 million/ml to be infertile, particularly if is there is low motility. The average ejaculation has about 100 million sperm/ml, but about 10 million sperm pass through the cervical mucus, about 1 million make it to the top of the uterine tract, and just about 100,000 sperm reach the fallopian tubes. Thus, only a couple of sperm, assuming motility, would reach the fallopian tubes in the case of the pre ejaculate samples with some sperm, which tended to be immobile (sperm levels only in the 1000s). Thus, the probability of pregnancy is very love if pre-ejaculate fluid enters the vagina. Pre-ejaculate fluid of 6 of the 9 HIV seropositive donors in Boston and 6 of the 14 HIV seropositive donors in New York contained HIV, regardless of symptom status or antiretroviral therapy status. Thus, the risk of HIV transmission may be higher than unplanned pregnancy, so people should use condoms before the penis enters the vagina, mouth, or anus.

about reproductive health on this site. Did they stop teaching this basic stuff in health class? I learned the basics in 7th grade (1996) and again in high school. What the heck happened the sex ed? People shouldn't be having to ask these questions! Am I crazy or does anyone else think this?

I am only 6 weeks so I know I wouldn't be showing yet I'm just curious when any 2nd time mothers started showing. I know most women show a little earlier the second time around. How about you?

One of my biggest annoyances is the "this is a true story" forwards. You know the ones. The ones that say that there are drug needles or snakes in the ballpits at McDonalds or horrific stories of children being used as drug mules. Most of the forwards you read everyday AREN'T TRUE.

Go to snopes.com and look up any forward you get that could cause fear/horror before you pass it on. I've found that 99% of the time these stories aren't true.

Anyway what I'm trying to get at is. Do you believe every forward you get and do you pass them on with out checking the sources?

Not for school or because you had to. The last book you read for fun...

Mine was "Jitterbug Perfume" by Tom Robbins.

I'm out of books to read so this might give me some ones to try. :)

Did you love it or hate it?

I just finished "In the Name of the Father"

GREAT movie!

I like too many to have an all time favorite. Empire of the Sun, Giant, and Velvet Goldmine are high up there though.

I just watched the third episode on demand. I'm loving it. Jonathan Rhys Meyers hasn't been sexier since Velvet Goldmine....That's just my opinion. :)

My husband has been deployed for a few months now and won't be back for some time yet. I've been doing ok. Trying to stay active and, even though I'm shy, trying to make new friends. I was just wondering what everyone else does. How do you cope with them being gone for so long?

My husband has been deployed for 3 months and I still have quite a few to go. I can't seem to get to sleep at night cause I'm so used to him sleeping next to me. I know it's been a while but I just can't get used to it. It's starting to effect me and I have a two year old so I really need to be rested to take care of her. I've only been getting around 4 hours a night. I just can't seem to turn my brain off so to speak to get to the point where I can really sleep well. I was doing good for a while...but not anymore. Any suggestions or words of wisdom are more than welcome.